Abstract: A thermal head includes a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode electrically connected to the heat generating section; a cover layer which covers part of the electrode; a pad electrically connected to the electrode; and a joining member electrically connected to the pad. The cover layer includes a first portion and a second portion which is smaller in thickness than the first portion. The second portion is placed on the pad. The pad has a convexity which exposes from the second portion. The joining member is connected to the convexity.

Abstract: A thermal head includes a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode electrically connected to the heat generating section; a cover layer which covers part of the electrode; a pad electrically connected to the electrode; and a joining member electrically connected to the pad. The cover layer includes a first portion and a second portion which is smaller in thickness than the first portion. The second portion is placed on the pad. The pad has a convexity which exposes from the second portion. The joining member is connected to the convexity.

Abstract: A thermal head includes: a substrate; a thermal storage layer disposed on the substrate and having a ridge portion; heat generating portions disposed on the ridge portion; and electrodes which are disposed on the substrate. At least one of the electrodes has a first corner portion at which a side surface and an upper surface intersect, more upstream in the conveyance direction of the recording medium than the top portion of the ridge portion. In a cross section of the thermal head, an inclination angle of an imaginary line which connects an intersection point of an imaginary line which hangs downward from the top portion (13b1) of the ridge portion and the substrate, with the first corner portion, is 75° or less from the substrate. Thus, printing residue is less likely to adhere to the thermal head.

Abstract: A thermal head includes: a substrate; a thermal storage layer disposed on the substrate and having a ridge portion; heat generating portions disposed on the ridge portion; and electrodes which are disposed on the substrate. At least one of the electrodes has a first corner portion at which a side surface and an upper surface intersect, more upstream in the conveyance direction of the recording medium than the top portion of the ridge portion. In a cross section of the thermal head, an inclination angle of an imaginary line which connects an intersection point of an imaginary line which hangs downward from the top portion (13b1) of the ridge portion and the substrate, with the first corner portion, is 75° or less from the substrate. Thus, printing residue is less likely to adhere to the thermal head.

Abstract: In a speech synthesizer, each frame for generating a speech waveform has an expansion degree to which the frame is expanded or compressed in accordance with the production speed of synthetic speech. In accordance with the set speech production speed, the time interval between beat synchronization points is determined on the basis of the speed of the speech to be produced, and the time length of each frame present between the beat synchronization points is determined on the basis of the expansion degree of the frame. Parameters for producing a speech waveform in each frame are properly generated by the time length determined for the frame. In the speech synthesizer for outputting a speech signal by coupling phonemes constituted by one or a plurality of frames having phoneme vowel-consonant combination parameters (VcV, cV, or V) of the speech waveform, the number of frames can be held constant regardless of a change in the speech production speed.